Auxiliary apparatus for steering vessels



A. McL. mcoLsom.

AUXILIARY APPARATUS FOR STEERING VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED 020.11. 1912.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IN VEN TOR.-

AUXILIARY ALEXANDER MOLEAN NICOLSON, OF NEW YORK N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR STEERING VESSELS.

Application filed December 17, 1917. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MoLEAN NIooLsoN, a subject of the king ofGreat Britain, residing at New York, in the county of New York and theState of New York, have invented new. and useful Improvements inAuxiliary Apparatus for Steering Vessels, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to auxiliary apparatus for steering vessels.

An object of this invention is to provide method and means for steeringor turning vessels in the state of rest or motion, especiallyundercircumstances in which the vessel is not readily responsive to the helm.

A further obj ect is to providesteering 'apparatus that may be appliedto the vessel to turn it through any angle in any desired direction asquickly as desired.

A further object paratus that may be internally applied to the vesselindependently of any outside medium, p

In accordance with this invention these objects are accomplished bystoring up rota-tional energies of opposite senses in the plane in whichthe turning of the vessel is desired'and in transforming the desiredpart of the rotational energy into rotational energy of the vessel, soas to turn the vessel in the desired sense. I

ne way of accomplishing this is to store up rotational energy inflywheels and to have one or more flywheels rotating in each sense thatit may be found desirable to steer or turn the vessel. By providing forthe flywheels, suitabl brakes firmly attached to the structure of thevessel, a turning of the vessel in any sense may be obtained bybrakingthe flywheel which is rotating in that direction, since by so doing theflywheel would tend to impart its rotational energy to the vessel.

Applying thisprinciple to a ship as an auxiliary steering means,flywheels would be suitably placed in the ships hull and rotated in .ahorizontal plane, one or more wheels being rotated clockwise and oneormore being rotated counterclockwise and each being provided with brakingmeans. If it should be found that it is desirable to employ theflywheels for steering only under certain conditions, while atother'times re lying on the ordinary rudder, then it would be preferablethatat the time the steerlng is accomplished by the rudderthat the fly-Spec ification of Letters Patent.

is to provide steering ap- Patented Oct. at, 1921. 207,479.

wheels should exert no action on the steering of the ship. This may bedone by making the rotational energies in the two directions equal andopposite. With such an equality the ship could be steered by the rudderthe same as if the flywheels were absent. When however at any timeadditional steering means would be desired,the proper flywheel could bebraked until suflicient rotational energy had been imparted to thevessel to produce the desired turning. The brakes could then be releasedand the energ T of the flywheel restored at leisure to its initialvalue.

From the above description it is apparent that this invention has a verywide applica tion. A vessel possessing steering mechanism according tothis invention, may be steered by it while the vessel is either at restor in motion rand may be turned as suddenly as desired through onehundred and eighty degrees or more if necessary.

uch a vessel could be readily steered by this auxiliary means while, forexample, at rest at dock or while entering or leaving harbors. Thisauxiliary means would be also a safeguard against collision withobstacles, where the vessel was in a fog or was maneuvering so as toavoid torpedoes or to point guns 1n warfare.

It is also evident that the application of this invention is not limitedto ships, but may be applied to any type of a vessel, such as anaeroplane, a submarine or other crafts or bodies that require steeringmechanism. Since in the case of aeroplanes or submarines, steering meansis desirable in both a horizontal and a vertical plane, flywheelsrotating both clockwise and counterclockwise would be required in eachplane, so that the vessel could be steered either up or down or to theleft or to the right by bra-king the flywheel which is rotating in thedirection it is desired to turn.

If the rotating bodies comprise flywheels, they should preferably bedesigned so as to store up large amounts of rotational energy. It isevident of course that the amount of rotational energy stored up willdepend upon the mass and the square of the velocity of the rotatingbodies, but excessive veloc ties are, in general, objectionable, so thatthe velocity factor is limited to some degree. In general, however, itwill be found that sufficient angular velocity may be maintained in aflywheel weighing even less than one per cent. ofthe total weight of theship,

60 r ably-fastened to the beam, 19, by the support,

ship uted between a plurality of rotating bodies located'at variouspoints in the vessehin order to avoid the concentration at one point ofthe great stresses that would attend the use of this invention in largevessels.

For the better understanding of the in vention, reference is made to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 represents an embodiment of this inventionillustrated in connection with a portion of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 illustratesanother form of this invention in connection with a submarine; Fig. 4:is a circuit diagram which may be employed ,for the apparatus shown inFig. 3; and Figs. 5 and 6 repre-v sent still other forms this inventionmay possess. Like reference characters represent like parts in thevarious drawings.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, 7 is a ship having the ordinarysteering means or rudder, 9, and propeller, 8, placed at the stern. Inaccordance with this invention auxiliary steering means is providedwithin the hull of the vessel and comprising a plurality of flywheels,10 and 11, each of which being capable of being rotated in a planevertical to the plane of the drawing, by some suitable means such as amotor, 1 1 and 1 1 respectively. The two flywheels have their axles 16and 16' and their bearings mounted in casings 18, 18', that aresupported by the beams 19 and 20 which may be parts of two decks orfloorings of the ship. The motors 1 1 and 14' are bolted to verticalsupports 22. Means'for braking the flywheels is supplied by a pluralityof Westinghouse air brakes of the well known type,

inwhich the pressure of the pivoted arms 2 1 and 24 against theflywheels is controlled by the air pressure in the cylinders 25 and 25.This will be described later more in detail.

. A plurality of flywheels 12, shown by dotted lines, may be located inany desired portionof the ship'in any desired number. In

order to understand, however, the operation.

of this invention, it will be necessary to consider only two flywheels,10 and 11, which are shown in detail in Fig. 1, and which are shown inan enlarged view in plan in Fig. 2, where the flywheel shown may beeither 10 or 11, although it has the reference character 10. Asdescribed,above,the source of power for rotating the flywheel is a motor14, suit- 37, and connected to the shafting of the flywheel by the belt30.. Means for braking the flywheel, whereby the rotational energy ofthe wheel may be transformed into rota-- Fig. 2 is an enlarged drawingof a tional energy of the ship, is provided by the two WVestinghouse airbrakes 25, which may be of any type desired. 'Herein they are shown tobe of the type in which the greater the air pressure supplied to thecylinder 25' through the pipe 39, the greater will be the overcome thepressure in the cylinder against the piston head 34 when no brak ing isdesired.

The operation of this invention for steering the ship 7 may now bereadily understood if we refer back to Fig. land assume that theflywheels 10 and 11 are being rotated by their motors in oppositedirectionssay for example, that wheel 10 is being rotated clockwise andwheel 11, counterclockwise. It is preferableforease of operation of thisinvention that the kinetic energies of the two flywheels should be equaland opposite in sign, which would mean,'if they aresimilar in form,diameter andmass, that their velocities should be equal and opposite. Insuch a condition the system'comprising the flywheels 10 and 11 has mminfluence upon the ship since the action ofone is neutralized by theother. It now, with the two flywheels in rapid'motion, other meansbesides the rudder!) is'desired for steering the ship in a certaindirection that would correspond to a clockwise rotation of the ship, theeffect may be. accomplished by braking the flywheel 10, which isrotating clockwise, until a suflicient amount of thefrom the flywheel 10may then be restored at leisure until its rotational energy equals thatof the flywheel 11. In a. similar manner it a counterclockwise rotationof the ship is desired the wheel 11 should be braked.

It is evident that this method of steering the vessel may beaccomplished by, any desired number of pairs of wheels which may besituated in-any desired part of the ship above, below or at the waterline and that the turning of the ship in'a desired direction may beeffected by employing one or more or all of the various wheels that arerotating in that direction. The number employed, of c0urse,will dependlargely upon how quickly the turningis to be done, since the moreflywheels braked the quicker will be the turning of the vessel. 7 In thedrawing a plurality of-flywheels 12 is shown in dotted lines torepresent the flywheels similar to wheels 10 and 11 which by pairs mayhave equal and opposite rotational energies.

7 It is to be noted'that by means of this invention, it would bepossibleto turn aship completely around in substantially its own length, as thisinvention functions equally as well when the ship is stationary as whenit is in motion.

In-Fig. 3 is shown how this invention may be applied to serve asa meansfor steering a submarine Vessel 40, both in a vertical plane as well ashorizontally, by a plurality of flywheels 41, 42, 43,.and 44 which arerotated respectively by motors 45, 46, 47 r and 48, each of which islocated .on the same shafting as its flywheel. The shafting for wheels41 and 43 have supports 50, 50'-which are suitably fastened to theflooring 52, while the axles of wheels 42 and ,44 are supported bybearings in casings, 53; It is obvious that 1 any desired number ofpairs of flywheels may be employed to perform the steering in the twoplanes. For the sake of simplicity only two pairs are, shown in thedrawing. For purpose of illustration we may assume that flywheels 41 and42 are rotating clockwise, while wheels 43 and 44 are rotatingcounterclockwise in their respective planes. If now it is desired tosteer the submarine in either a vertical or horizontal plane, thatflywheel which is rotating inthe direction the movement of the ship isdesired should be braked an amount sufficient to give the ship theamount of rotational energy desired. If it is desired to rotate the.submarine to the left in a horizontal plane, wheel 44 which is rotatingcounterclockwise should be braked mechanically or otherwise. If rotationto the right is desired, wheel 42 shouldv be braked. In the same mannerif flywheel 43 is braked the submarine will be steered downward, whilethe braking of wheel 41 will turn the submarine upward.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated 'an electrical method by which the braking ofsuch a system as that of Fig. 3 maybe accomplished. to 77 inclusive areshunt wound motors, each of which maybe employed for .rotating aflywheel: in, such a manner as motors 45-48 of Fig. 3are shown to beemployed. The pair, 70 and 74 for example, may be employed to rotateflywheels in a clockwise direction and the pair 71 and 75 to rotatewheels counterclockwise in a horizontal plane, while each of the pair ofmotors 72 and 76 and of the pair73 and 77 may be used to rotateflywheels clockwise and counterclockwise respe ctivelvin a verticalplane. The motors which are shown to be of the shunt wound type may beofany other well known type desired. Coils 70 to 77 inclusive are thefield windings of the motors. 80 is a generator for supplylng power tothe motors and which may be the ordinary ships generator. Power issupplied to the motor 70 by switch 83 and conductors 84 and 85, acrosswhich conductors the field with power by switch and conductors91 and92,while motor 75 is supplied through the conductors 93 and 94, itsfield winding being shunted across conductors 93 and 94 through switch95. Similarly motor 72 is supplied through switch 97, while motor 76 issupplied through the same switch, but has its field. winding connectedacross conductors 98 and 99 through switch 100. Also motors 73 and 77are supplied by switch 101, the field winding of 77 being supplied bythe additional switch 105.

Assuming now that it is desired to turn the submarine containing thesemotors in a clockwise direction in a horizontal plane, then it would benecessary to brake those motors that are rotating flywheels in aclockwise direction in that plane, which, under the assumptions madeabove would be motors70 and 74. One way this may be accomplished, andthe way illustrated in Fig. 4, is to disconnect the two motors fromtheir source of power and then to allow one to act as the generator forsupplying current through the field winding of the other in such adirection as to tend to rotate it opposite to its normal direction ofrotation. In the case of motors 70 and 74 this may be accomplished byfirst opening switch 83 and then changing the position of switch 89 tocontact points 110 and 111, whereby the motor 70 acts as a generator forthe motor 74 supplying current through its field winding 74 in theopposite direction to that in which it is normally supplied, therebybraking both motors. In order that the braking may be done as slowly oras suddenly as desired, an adjustable resistance 113 is inserted inseries with field winding 74' when the switch 89 is on points 110 and111, so that the value of the current through field winding 74 may beregulated from a very small value up to practically the full value ofthe current supplied by the motor-generator 70. lVhen the maximum valueof the resistance 113 is included in the circuit, then only a smallamount of current flows through field winding 74, so that only a littlebraking action is accomplished, but decreasing the value of theresistance will increase the braking to the point where the desiredamount of rotational energy is supplied to the submarine, whereuponswitch 89 maybe thrown ofl contact point 111 into its normal positionand switch 83 closed so that the generator 80 may restore the rotationalenergies of the 70 and 74 values by employing the ing of the ship isdesired, motors '71 and 75 w the supports should be braked'and this maybe accomplished by opening switch 90 and moving switch 95 over to points11 1 and 115. The braking of the flywheels attached to the motors will.therefore be inversely proportional to the'value of the resistance 116.When the desired turning has been accomplished the switch 95 may bethrown back to its normal position and the switch 90 closed'again.

A clockwise turning of the submarine in a vertical plane can be donebybraking mo tors 72 and 76 by employing switches 97 and 100 and theadjustable resistance 118 in the manner described above, and a turningcounterclockwise will occur if the motors 7 rotating and braking theflywheels, in which and 7'7 are braked in the same way.

It is to beunderstood that the above described method of performing thisoperation of braking the motors of is not the sole way this may be done,as it may he performed by any well knownmechanical or electrical method.

From the above disclosure it is apparent that this invention would alsobe very valu able as a means for steering air vessels,such asaeroplanes. In Fig. 5 is illustrated a form of this invention that isparticularly adapted for use with aeroplanes, although 125 and 126 aretwo supports which may form its use is in no wise limited thereto.

part of the structural framework of an aeroplane. 127 is a circularframe supported by 125 and 126 and capable of being rotated by somesuitable means suclras a crank 130, about an axis through the points 131and 132. Inside the'framework 12T'and rotating about an axle 135 whichis supported at the points 187 and 138 are two flywheels, 139 and 1 10which'have motors 11-1 and 1 12 for driving them. ,The two wheels arenot integral with one another or with the axle, but are capable ofrotating in op posite directions driven by their respective motors.Assume that wheel 1.39 is being rotated in a clockwise direction whilewheel 140 is being rotated counterclockwise. If

now it is desired to steer the aeroplane in any given plane, all that isnecessary to be done is to rotate the frame .127 until'tne plane of thewheels 139 and 1 10 is parallel to the plane in which the turning isdesired to take place, whereupon the proper wheel affecting the steeringof the vessel during such restoration provided recourse is had to thehelm for compensation.

One way of accomplishing the braking of the flywheels of Fig. 5 would beto brake them mechanically as in Fig. 2 for example or the braking maybe done'by shortcircuiting the motor through an adjustable resistance asis well known, although it is not limited to these-methods, asstillxothers may be employed. Each of the fiywheels'may be hollow as isshown in the cross-sectional view of wheel 140 which may contain any 7suitable fluid for increasing the weight of the wheelwhen desired, or'ofdecreasing its weight by allowing the fluid to escape through stopcock146. c The sides of the hollow 'chambermay include suitable vanes 148forimpeding the rotational momentum the flywheels 165 and 161respectively and.

theblades of the two latter turbines are so positioned 'that when steamis passed through pipe 169, they tend to turn their respective flywheelsin opposite directions to their-rotation as produced the pair 160 and164.

It is apparent th'a t a'ship may be provided with anynumber ofstructures similar to the one of, Fig. 6,]part of which may be rotating,clockwise and part counterclockwise'in any plane in which'steering'isdesired. A ship possessing the structure of Fig. 6 may be steeredthereby by positioning the plane of the flywheels in the plane' in whichsteering is desired and then maintaining a normal amount of rotational"energy in the flywheels by turbines. such as turbines 167- and 168. Whenhowever it is desired to steer the vessel, sayin a clockwise direction,steam to the turbines rotat:

7 ing flywheels in a clockwise direction should. be shut ofi andsuitable braking applied.

Thus if turbines 167 and 168, are rotating flywheels in" a clockwisedirection, their steam supplyshould bercut off and steam applied tocgtheturbines 160 and 164 which action would tend to rotate the flywheels 161and 165 in'a counterclockwise direction,

thereby retarding theirmotion and transferring their energy 'torotational energy of the ship. l Vhen the desired turning has beenaccomplished the braking action may be stopped and the originalvelocities of the flywheels restored at leisure by helm compensation.

' It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to thespecific embodiments above described, as it will be evident to oneskilled claims.

the above modifications are not limited to departing in anywise from thespirit of this invention as defined in the appended It is to be furtherunderstood that the particular type of vessel with which they are shown.

It is to be understood that the word vessel as used in thisspecification and the appended claims is generic to any kind of a bodyor craft to which steering mechanism may be applied, suchas boats,ships, aeroplanes, undersea boats, hydroplanes, and the like.

Furthermore it is to be understood that this invention is not limited toauxiliary steering apparatus having bodies rotating in every directionin which steering is desired. For example if it is desired to haveauxiliary steering apparatus for turning a vessel in two directions in agiven plane, the steering may be accomplished by having storedrotational energy in only one of these directions. Increasing the amountof the stored energy will turn the vessel in one of the directions,while decreasing the rotational energy by braking will turn the vesselin the opposite direction.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a vessel having a rudder, of means for steeringsaid vessel during an emergency, said means comprising means for storingup rotational energy in a given direction, and means for changing theamount of said rotational energy when a change in direction is desired.

2. The combination with a vessel having a rudder, of means for steeringsaid vessel during an emergency, said means comprising means for storingup rotational energy in a given direction, and means for transforming aportion of said energy into rotational energy of the vessel.

3. A vessel, means comprising a rudder for steering said vessel underordinary conditions in a given plane, and means comprising flywheelrotating in opposite directions for steering said vessel in said planeduring an emergency.

4. The combination with a vessel of means for steering said vessel underordinary conditions and means for steering said vessel when it is notreadily responsive to said first named means, said second named meanscomprising a plurality of flywheels, means for rotating said flywheelsin opposite direc tions in the plane in which steering is desired, andmeans for transforming a portion of the rotational energy of one of saidflywheels into rotational energy of the vessel.

5. The combination with a vessel of means direction, said for steeringsaid vessel under ordinary con ditions and means for steering saidvessel when it is not readily responsive to said first named means, saidsecond means comprising a plurality of flywheels, means for rotatingsome of said flywheels in one direction in the plane in which steeringis desired, means for rotating other of said flywheels in an oppositedirection in said plane, the flywheels rotating in the same directionhaving a combined mass of the neighborhood of one per cent. of the massof the vessel,' and means for braking one of said flywheels that isrotating in the direction that a turning of the vessel is desired. V

6. The combination with a vessel of means for steering said vessel underordinary conditions, a plurality of flywheels, means for rotating someof said flywheels in a clockwise direction, means for rotating other ofsaid flywheels in a counterclockwise tated at such speeds that thekinetic energy developed'in a clockwise direction is substantially equalto the kinetic energy developed in a counterclockwise direction wherebythe rotational energy of said flywheels will not interfere at ordinarytimes with the steering of the vessel by said first named means, andmeans for braking some of said flywheels when said vessel is not readilyresponsive to said first named means whereby said vessel may be steered.

7. The combination with a vessel of means for controlling the directionof said vessel under ordinary conditions and means for controlling thedirection of said vessel when it is not readily responsive to said firstnamed means, said second named means comprising a plurality offlywheels, means for rotating at least two of said flywheels in oppositedirections in the plane in which the direction of the vessel is to becontrolled, and means for chan ing the rotational energy of one of saidflywheels to make eifective said second named controlling means.

8. The combination with a vessel of means for controlling the directionof said vessel under ordinary conditions and means for controlling thedirection of said vessel in an emergency, said second named meanscomprising means for storing up rotational energies of substantiallyequal amounts in opposite directions in the plane in which thecontrolling action is desired and means for suddenly decreasing thevalue of the rotational energy stored in one direction.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 15' day ofDecember, A. D. 1917.

ALEXANDER McLEAN NICOLSON.

flywheels being normally ro-

